The invention concerns the technical field for monitoring electronic or computer systems by means of capture or checking peripherals.
In a preferred but not exclusive application, the invention concerns monitoring the movement of a pointer or cursor on the screen of a computer using a checking peripheral.
In this preferred application field, a device known as a mouse is used for transforming movements into controls required by a user. The mouse is formed by a box equipped with electronic means connected to the computer for transforming the movements of the box on the working surface into a movement of the cursor or pointer on the computer screen.
Thus, a mouse more generally includes a ball for rolling over the working surface, sensors to detect the movements of the ball and means for processing the electric signals of the sensors. The processing means are connected to the computer by an electric cable or a Hertzien or infrared link. The processing means have been designed to deliver signals recognised by the protocol of the port to which the mouse is connected, usually corresponding to the standard RS 232. However, the mouse can also be connected to the computer via a dedicated interface card or to a specific bus in which case the processing means shall deliver one or several signals recognised by the protocol associated with this interface card or bus.
The mouse may in addition include a certain number of push or scrolling buttons which are also connected to the processing means and which correspond to validation or data entry function according to the operating mode of the computer.
The means for processing the signals derived from the movement sensors and the position sensors of the scrolling or input buttons then provide several principal functions, namely:
detection of the movement of the mouse,
detection of the position of the push-buttons,
and communication with the computer as per the retained standard.
Communication with the microcomputer is more usually managed by a microprocessor ensuring the two parts of the processing of the signals derived from the movement and position detectors of the push-buttons. The mouse also contains means to control the electric feeding of the means for processing the signals and possibly that of the movement detection and position sensors.
Finally, the mouse is associated with a control software loaded into the computer which decodes the signal transmitted by the mouse. The driver provides the application software requesting it information concerning the state and status of the mouse: firstly the movement and secondly the position of the push-buttons so as to enable them to carry out the resultant actions.
In its most frequently used operating mode, the driver communicates with the sub-programme or movement routine of the cursor or pointer when the mouse is moved and sends messages to the programme when the push-buttons of the mouse are pressed.
It ought to be said that for most of the drivers used, the movement of the pointer on the screen does not correspond directly to that of the mouse. In fact, it has been observed that the movement of the mouse can be broken down into two main movements, namely movement of the mouse until the pointer is brought into the desired zone and then its precise positioning on the targeted point or object. Thus, when the mouse is moved slowly, the driver generates a movement of the pointer on the screen of about 100 CPI (Counts Per Inch) or DPI (Dots Per Inch), and when the mouse is moved quickly, the driver generates a movement of the pointer of about 400 CPI, indeed 1000 CPI.
According to the prior art, the mouse gives full satisfaction as a control peripheral of a computer when using the hand.
However, it may appear necessary to be able to control a computer or electronic system without resorting to using the hands, especially when the user is unable to do so.
Thus, it has been considered on controlling a computer or electronic system via the breath with the aid of a control device introducing a helical wheel or turbine moved by the breath of the user and whose rotation is processed and converted into an electric signal according to a standard approximately similar to the one associated with a mouse so as to be recognised by the driver and thus convert rotation of the wheel into a movement of the cursor on the screen.
However, it appears that this wheel control system does not offer high checking accuracy having regard to the inertia of the wheel which continues to rotate after stopping applying the breath of said user.
Thus, it seems necessary to have a method and device for monitoring an electronic or computer system using the breath of a user and possessing greater precision and control sensitivity than offered by system of the prior art.
So as to meet this objective, the invention concerns a method for monitoring an electronic or computer system, characterised in that it consists of:
making vibrate at least one free segment with the aid of a fluid current,
translating the vibrations on the segment into an electric signal with the aid of at least one conversion device associated with the segment,
processing the electric signal transmitted by the conversion device,
and monitoring an action of the system according to the results of the processing of the electric signal.
In one preferred application, the invention concerns a method making it possible to obtain the same functionalities as those corresponding to the movements of a mouse by using the breath of a user.
So as to attain this objective, according to another characteristic of the invention, in order to control movements by the breath along two directions X and Y the method consists of a pointer or cursor on the computer screen so as to:
implement for each movement direction a conduit housing two free segments associated with conversion devices, the first segment being able to be stressed on vibration by the expiration (breathing out) flow and the second abler to be stressed on vibration by the inspiration (breathing in) flow.
process the signals transmitted by the conversion devices so that, for each movement direction the inspiration flow corresponds to a movement direction of the cursor and the expiration flow corresponds to a movement direction opposite the one corresponding to the inspiration flow and so that the intensity of the flow corresponds, at least in part, to the movement speed of the cursor.
The invention also concerns a device for converting into an electric signal the action of a fluid current on at least one free segment. According to the invention, this conversion device includes means for directly converting the mechanical vibrations of the free segment into an electric signal.
According to one characteristic of the invention, the conversion means are formed by a piezo-electric transducer integral with the free segment.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the conversion means are formed by an electromagnetic transducer including a magnet and a transducing coil associated with a magnetic circuit including a ferromagnetic portion provided by the segment at the level of its free extremity whose vibrations disturb the magnetic field generated by the magnet and induce an electromotive force in the coil.
According to a further characteristic of the invention, the conversion means are formed by the association of a light source and a light sensor both arranged so that the vibrations of the segment disturb illumination of the sensor so as to create a variable electric signal at the terminals of the sensor.
The invention also concerns a device for monitoring an electronic or computer system using a fluid current. According to the invention, this monitoring device includes:
means to apply this fluid current to at least one free segment and make said segment vibrate,
at least one device according to the invention-for converting the vibrations of the segment into an electric signal,
means for processing the electric signal transmitted by the conversion device,
and interface means between the processing means and the electronic or computer system.
The invention also concerns a device for the breath of a user monitoring the movement along two directions X and Y of a pointer or cursor on a computer screen.
According to the invention, this device includes:
for each movement direction a conduit housing two free segments associated with conversion devices according to the invention, the first segment being able to be stressed on vibration by the expiration flow and the second being able to be stressed on vibration by the inspiration flow,
means for processing the signals transmitted by the conversion devices so that for each direction of movement the inspiration flow corresponds to a movement direction of the cursor and the expiration flow corresponds to a movement direction opposite the one corresponding to the inspiration flow and so that the intensity of the flow corresponds, at least in part, to the movement speed of the cursor.